Is 'it' a recipient? relevant what it is exactly? Does it contain: a liquid? items? 'me'= you Mycroft? human? adult? male? relevant? Is this a true story? is there a story at all? Are you in this situation an optimist? a pessimist? Did the full half appeal to you? the empty?

Hi Tobasi! Is 'it' a recipient? relevant what it is exactly? YesDoes it contain: a liquid? yes but irrelevantitems? Also yes but also irrelevant'me'= you Mycroft? yes human? adult? male? yes to all, last time I checked! relevant? relevant to a particular aspect of my characterIs this a true story? absolutely, it happened to me this afternoon is there a story at all? not really a whole story, but hopefully a nice little puzzle whilst I think of something elseAre you in this situation an optimist? a pessimist? Did the full half appeal to you? the empty? the empty half appealed to me, if that makes me a pessimist then so be it!

So 'it' is a palpable recipient, right? Is it: a bottle? a glass? a box? Is the material relevant? the size? Did the empty half contain: air? something worthless? something that would usually be considered as worthless? Would the empty half appeal to anybody or just to you? appeal in the sense of: it mattered to you? you liked it?

So 'it' is a palpable recipient, right? aH! I think you probably mean receptacle, ie a container of some sort. If that's true then yesIs it: a bottle? a glass? a box? none of theseIs the material relevant? not reallythe size? much more soDid the empty half contain: air? something worthless? something that would usually be considered as worthless? it certainly contained air and other items, but nothing that the full half didnt contain and nothing of any real worthWould the empty half appeal to anybody or just to you? it would I think appeal to most peopleappeal in the sense of: it mattered to you? you liked it? the 'most people' above would say they liked it, to me it actually matters

Well it might still be bigger than: a stadium? a town? a city? land of the size of the UK? the USA? asia? the planet earth? Do you just make a statement about this receptacle or are you related to it in another way? Are you in it? Does it belong to you? Could you say that the right (or upper or anything) side is empty and the other side is full? Or are the empty and full regions mixed up?

Jumpingjack The size of a concert hall? A stadium? smaller than theseDid you prefer the empty half because the other half was full of people? Yes!

Tobasi Well it might still be bigger than: a stadium? a town? a city? land of the size of the UK? the USA? asia? the planet earth? see above, it's smaller than a stadiumDo you just make a statement about this receptacle or are you related to it in another way? yesAre you in it? yesDoes it belong to you? noCould you say that the right (or upper or anything) side is empty and the other side is full? Or are the empty and full regions mixed up? indeed, one side of it is full up and the other side is completely empty

Has the receptacle the size of an apartment? Is it an apartment? or more general a building? part of a building? So both of the halfs contain air and other items but there are people only in one part? Are the people seperated from the other part by: a wall? a curtain? Is the number of people relevant? Are they in there professionally? for amusement? Are they sitting? standing? lying? relevant? Are you part of the people? Is the division exactly 50%-50%? relevant?

Tobasi Has the receptacle the size of an apartment? depends on the apartment! but probably biggerIs it an apartment? or more general a building? part of a building? not a buildingSo both of the halfs contain air and other items but there are people only in one part? YesAre the people seperated from the other part by: a wall? a curtain? neither of theseIs the number of people relevant? NoAre they in there professionally? for amusement? yope to professionally, no for amusementAre they sitting? mostlystanding? somelying? norelevant? yope - only in so far as it may help identify the objectAre you part of the people? noIs the division exactly 50%-50%? relevant? exactly 50-50 and yes this is relevant!

Jumpingjack Ah, the importance of applying previous knowledge. it's always a good starting point!A supermarket? noshopping mall? noWas there a kind of sale going on at one end, causing all the people to flock to one side of the room? no

0815 A swimming pool? One half for the swimmers and one half for the non-swimmers? and no these as well, I'm afraid

Are you in the full half or the empty half? If you are in the full half, would you be able to leave and stand in the empty half? Are there objects on the floor of the empty half that cannot be stepped on? There is no tangible barrier separating the two halves, correct? Would it be dangerous for people to be in the empty half? Is there a scientific experiment going on? How many people are there per square metre of the full half? less than 1? one? two? more than that? Was it congested? The people in the full half--do they all have the same occupation? Do they have the same occupation as you do?

Are you in the full half or the empty half? I am, thankfully, in the empty half If you are in the full half, would you be able to leave and stand in the empty half? but were I in the full half, I, or any of the others in the full half, could do this Are there objects on the floor of the empty half that cannot be stepped on? NoThere is no tangible barrier separating the two halves, correct? No. Which is to say, there IS a tangible barrierWould it be dangerous for people to be in the empty half? NoIs there a scientific experiment going on? noHow many people are there per square metre of the full half? less than 1? one? two? more than that? this one Was it congested? YesThe people in the full half--do they all have the same occupation? nope Do they have the same occupation as you do? no

Are you in a vehicle? a train? an aeroplane? Are you in something with walls? Is this going on outside? subterranean? Apart from the people do the two sides look similar? Are they even symmetrical? Is the barrier: more like a line? more like a plane? Is it horizontal? vertical? Why do the people stay in the full half: do they want to stay near their family/friends? there is something in either of the halves? they want to be closer to something or farer from something? they think differently than you? they don't decide on their own? there is something they can only achieve by staying on this side? Those who are sitting, are they sitting on chairs? seats? on the floor?

Are you the only person in the empty half? Would people from the full half think it strange that you should choose to be in the empty half? Is there a door through which one can come into the empty half from the full half? Are they all here for a common purpose? Do you share this purpose? Have they paid to come in here? Have you? Would this phenomenon take place everyday? once a week? once a month? once a year? or is it a completely one-off thing? If you were not afraid of crowds, would you rather be in the full half?

Tobasi Are you in a vehicle? Yesa train? YES!an aeroplane? Are you in something with walls? Is this going on outside? subterranean? bothApart from the people do the two sides look similar? yesAre they even symmetrical? not exactly, but pretty muchIs the barrier: more like a line? more like a plane? a planeIs it horizontal? vertical? verticalWhy do the people stay in the full half: quite frankly, I have no idea! This is what prompted the puzzle. I can eliminate some specific examples though do they want to stay near their family/friends? possibly there is something in either of the halves? nope they want to be closer to something or farer from something? possibly this-closer to something they think differently than you? possibly they don't decide on their own? they definitely seem to decide on their own there is something they can only achieve by staying on this side? I dont think soThose who are sitting, are they sitting on chairs? seats? on the floor? on seats

Jumpingjack Are you the only person in the empty half? YesWould people from the full half think it strange that you should choose to be in the empty half? no Is there a door through which one can come into the empty half from the full half? yesAre they all here for a common purpose? yopeDo you share this purpose? yes Have they paid to come in here? yes Have you?yes Would this phenomenon take place everyday? yes, I thinkonce a week? once a month? once a year? or is it a completely one-off thing? but it's the first time I've experienced itIf you were not afraid of crowds, would you rather be in the full half? I'd still rather be in the empty half!

good round of questions there from you both, there is a little left to establish but that was a very good close in!

So one half of the train is full of people, and the other half has only you in it? That's strange. Are you scaring them away? Does this train have a driver? Do the people want to be closer to him? Do they feel it will be easier for them to hop out when they reach their station? Is there something wrong with the door leading from the platform to the empty carriage, so they have to enter the full one, and just decide to stay there?

So one half of the train is full of people, and the other half has only you in it? yesThat's strange. I thpught so!Are you scaring them away? smile if you will, but i have been known to do this! Does this train have a driver? yesDo the people want to be closer to him?no Do they feel it will be easier for them to hop out when they reach their station? noIs there something wrong with the door leading from the platform to the empty carriage, so they have to enter the full one, and just decide to stay there? no - one person infact did come through about five minutes later and looked as amused as I must have done

Are the people in the full half tourists? part of some excursion group? Does this train have windows? Relevant? Which carriage is closer to the front of the train--yours or the full one? Was there someone famous in the full one?

Jumpingjack Are the people in the full half tourists? nopart of some excursion group? noDoes this train have windows? yesRelevant? but no Which carriage is closer to the front of the train--yours or the full one? the full one Was there someone famous in the full one? no

Is there some imagined benefit to occupancy of the full half of the train, as far as the crowd are concerned? Is there some imagined problem connected to being in the half of the train you occupy? Is it relevant that you are closer to the back of the train? Are you (? or the crowd?) closer to the buffet car? Toilets? Some other relevant part of the train?

Do we have to find out why the people stayed in the crowded half (as you said before you had no idea about this)? Do we have to find out more about the people? the train? the situation? you in the situation?

Plebeian Is there some imagined benefit to occupancy of the full half of the train, as far as the crowd are concerned? \b{no} Is there some imagined problem connected to being in the half of the train you occupy? noIs it relevant that you are closer to the back of the train? yesAre you (? or the crowd?) closer to the buffet car? noToilets? no Some other relevant part of the train? Yope

Tobasi Do we have to find out why the people stayed in the crowded half (as you said before you had no idea about this)? I've no idea why people stayed there, but I do know why people got on to this part of the train, and that's what I'd like all you clever people to find outDo we have to find out more about the people? nope the train? mostly this the situation? and a little this you in the situation? and a little here

Jumpingjack Before entering the train, could the people tell that one carriage was full and one was empty? no Did they just enter the first carriage that came up, not realising that the second carriage was empty? Yope-explore!

Did you board the train from a different side than all the other people? Did you come in with another train? Did the others? Did you wait at the station? Did the others? Was the platform longer on one side than on the other? Was there some obstacle on the platform?

Martinfg Is the train longer than the platform where you board it? noWhere everyone else boards it? no

0815 Did you board the train from a different side than all the other people? no Did you come in with another train? no Did the others? noDid you wait at the station? no Did the others? yes Was the platform longer on one side than on the other? no Was there some obstacle on the platform? no

looks like we're both having a very productive Friday afternoon at work...Was it more convenient for the others to reach the door of the first carriage? YesWas it impossible for them to get on the second carriage at some point of time? noslight FA here - there are infact 8 carriages four of which are full and the other four are empty (apart from me)

Was the second carriage added to the train after they had entered the first? no

Did you arrive late at the station? yes!... so that the second carriage was aready there? the whole train was pulling in just as I arrivedWere you already in the second carriage when it was added to the train? no

Did you walk from the platform to your carriage directly through a door (i.e. without having to move through other carriages to get to yours)? Did the other passengers get directly to their carriage? Was your seat in the carriage reserved? Were a large number of theirs? Did you (? or the crowd?) have to walk any significant distance to get from the position on the platform to the carriage door when the train stopped?

Did you walk from the platform to your carriage directly through a door (i.e. without having to move through other carriages to get to yours)? yesDid the other passengers get directly to their carriage? yesWas your seat in the carriage reserved? Were a large number of theirs? no to bothDid you (? or the crowd?) have to walk any significant distance to get from the position on the platform to the carriage door when the train stopped? I didn't, but the crowd did

Position of ticket vending machine relevant? Position of food stands relevant? Position of bookshop relevant? Position of any bad-smelling things relevant? Was there a "Please wait here"-sign? none of these I'm afraid

Is it nearer to the usual entrance? Did you come from a direction that people don't usually come from? Because you took a shortcut? all no - there's only one entrance here and the point at which they enter the train is further away from the entrance than mine

Is it generally considered safer to wait where they are waiting? Is there a large board with a map near where they are standing? entertainment of some sort? Perhaps while waiting for the train, they are so bored that they walk along the platform, and so end up further away from the entrance than you? (I often do this!)

Jumpingjack Is it generally considered safer to wait where they are waiting?noIs there a large board with a map near where they are standing? entertainment of some sort?neither of thesePerhaps while waiting for the train, they are so bored that they walk along the platform, and so end up further away from the entrance than you? (I often do this!)no, although I sometimes do this too!

Tobasi Was the train longer than the people expected? Yes!which by any means is good enough for a ***SPOILER*** All the other trains which arrive at the platform only have four coaches, but the train back to Brighton has eight. I assumed that most of the people who weren't perhaps travelling very far would be able to get on any of the trains since the first few stops are the same. So everyone apart from me piles into the front four carriages, opposite where they've been waiting. Having got to the station just in time, I get on a carriage much nearer to the station entrance, and realise to my amazement (and relief!) that it's completely empty. Why people want to stay in the four really busy carriages rather than travel down the train where I'm enjoying a whole carriage to myself though is another matter! Thanks everyone for playing!